MMK’s environmental projects recognized by Russian authorities

18.07.2017

PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (“MMK”) was visited on 14 July 2017 by the Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor), Ramil Nizamov, with the aim of confirming the implementation of the agreement on ecological cooperation.

The delegation also included the Head of the Department of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources in the Ural Federal District, Boris Leontiev; and the Head of the Department of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources in the Chelyabinsk region, Vitaly Kuryatnikov.

Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works carries out production activities with an understanding of its responsibility for any impact on the environment and strives to create an ecologically friendly city. The continuous reduction and prevention of harmful effects on the environment is an important element of MMK’s strategy, ensuring the long-term and sustainable development of the enterprise. Investments in environmental protection at MMK will amount to RUB 3.8 roubles this year. This activity will be mainly directed at reducing the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere.

In 2016, MMK, the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, Rosprirodnadzor and the Chelyabinsk Region signed an environmental cooperation agreement. As part of this the reconstruction of the sulphur collection unit in the sintering shop was completed, the gas purifying unit in the electric-furnace melting shop was commissioned and the aspiration system of the foundry of blast furnace No. 10 was built (in August this year, the blast furnace asbestos unit No. 9 will be launched). The document was also signed by the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology in Russia, Sergei Donskoi; the Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources, Artem Sidorov; the Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region, Oleg Klimov; and the CEO of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, Pavel Shilyaev.

“We are constantly modernising our production facilities and units,” noted the CEO of MMK, Pavel Shilyaev, at the signing of the agreement. “The most modern, advanced technologies are used in construction. This allows us, among other things, to minimise our environmental impact. Our strategic goal is a clean city, and its implementation is impossible without the introduction of new technologies to ensure environmental safety.”

Two new projects were examined by the delegation in connection with the reduction of air emissions. These are the commissioned blast furnace No. 10 aspiration system and the new gas purifying plants of the two-bath steelmaking unit.

Representatives of Rosprirodnadzor also got acquainted with the reconstruction of the circulating water supply system. The goal of this project is to switch to the most closed circulating water supply system, which will minimise the environmental burden on the Magnitogorsk reservoir.

The implementation of the project is scheduled for 2017-2018. Upon its implementation, the volume of water discharged will be 11 times less. As part of the project, it is planned to create a complex of engineering and technical facilities designed to separate a cooling pond from the channel part of the Magnitogorsk reservoir. It is necessary to build a hydromechanised method of dam separation: a water intake device for feeding the reverse part with water, equipped with shutters of the discharge device, as well as the construction of water consumption and utilities control systems.

"Magnitogorsk is one of the areas of special attention for Rosprirodnadzor, since there is a significant burden on the environment. Three large scale projects worth more than RUB 6 billion were implemented, significantly reducing pollutant emissions," said Ramil Nizamov, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources. “But this is not the end of the changes in the production chain of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. There is a programme on the agglomeration cycle and the modernization of coke-chemical production. Rosprirodnadzor will ensure the realisation of these projects."

About MMK

MMK is one of the world's largest steel producers and a leading Russian metals company. The company's operations in Russia include a large steel-producing complex encompassing the entire production chain, from the preparation of iron ore to downstream processing of rolled steel. MMK turns out a broad range of steel products with a predominant share of high-value-added products. In 2016, the company produced 12.5 million tonnes of crude steel and 11.6 million tonnes of commercial steel products. MMK Group had sales in 2016 of USD 5,630 million and EBITDA of USD 1,956 million.